


A Little "Healthy" Competition

by geriatricsloth, ginwhitlock



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, all the twilight bs would have been avoided, bella shouldve been with jasper, edward is a whiny child, pining? sure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25846495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geriatricsloth/pseuds/geriatricsloth, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginwhitlock/pseuds/ginwhitlock
Summary: The Cullens have their own hallway at school, and Jasper and Edward fight over Bella.(Can be seen as a prequel to All I Need Is You)
Relationships: Carlisle Cullen/Esme Cullen, Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale, Jasper Hale/Bella Swan
Comments: 9
Kudos: 289





	A Little "Healthy" Competition

“Oh yeah, the weird Cullen kids do stuff in that hallway. You might wanna stay clear of it,” Bella is told on her first day. She gets lost one day and accidentally ends up walking down the area of the building in question trying to get to class.

Jasper just happens to be sitting on the floor with his head resting against the wall. He looks like he's in pain, but it's just because Emmett and Rosalie are getting really hot and heavy against the wall next to him. He has nowhere else to be because Edward and Alice left to go hunting and he has no other friends.

Bella looks at him and squeaks out, “Do you know where English with Tanner is?” trying not to look at Emmett and Rosalie. 

He just points up the stairs across from them and sighs while he closes his eyes and bangs his head against the wall. 

She nods and starts to back away when she whips around and asks, “Do you think you could show me? I’m new, and these hallways all look the same.” 

He almost cries from joy and super enthusiastically leads her up the stairs and to the classroom. She turns to tell him thank you when they reach her destination, but he's nowhere in sight.

That’s the first time she meets the “ghost” that everyone calls Jasper Hale. She keeps looking for him in the corners of hallways and behind the bricks of the lunchroom. But he always finds her first before disappearing again. And then Bella meets Edward in Biology. Jasper's just like, _Well. Guess she doesn't need me anymore_ , and tries to return back to his usual days of avoiding any voluntary human contact.

When she comes around for the first time to meet the family, he sees her again, close enough to touch. Edward specifically told him that he couldn't get close to her though, so he just stays over by the staircase with his arms crossed over his chest. After the Cullens file in and she gets to say hello to them all, she leans around Edward and whispers to Jasper. 

“How’s my ghost?”

He smiles and nods at her. He disappears to his study while her attention is occupied by Carlisle and Esme.

She secretly searches for him the rest of the day while Edward checks in with his family. She walks the hallways looking for any sign of the blond who fascinated her. She finds herself in the basement, in front of a tall oak door with a brass handle. It looks older than the entire house. She goes to grasp the handle and his breath is at her ear.

"Where do you think you're goin’?" 

She jumps because of how cold his breath feels on her skin. "I was looking for you." 

Jasper is confused by why this human would want to actively search him out and spend time with him. Shouldn't he be repulsive to her? “Well, aren’t you an intuitive one.” 

His eyes never leave hers as he places his hand on hers and turns the knob. Her eyes leave his and go wide at the expansive library contained inside what she thought was a tiny washroom. 

“It’s my study.” Jasper’s face is just inches from her racing pulse as she slowly turns from him to walk onto the dark floors. 

“You have a study? Isn’t that a little old timey for a teenager?” Her hand skims across the surface of his desk as he takes her in, the soft blue dress she’s wearing falls just to above her knees, and he’s imagining things he shouldn’t about his brother's girl. 

“Well when you’re a teenager for a century and a half, you acquire some things.” He loves watching her stare at all of the books that line his walls. He knows he needs to appreciate this moment as long as he can because his deviant thoughts are going to draw Edward down there. Edward doesn't particularly like this part of the house, but Jasper knows he'd be down here in a second once he picks up on the way his mind is turning. "See anything you like?" 

She's walking along one of the bookcases, running her fingers across the spines. “You’ve got quite a collection. I mean, god, you’ve got every classic I’ve ever read down here.” 

His boots rub a spot in the carpet circling his desk. “They’re first editions, most of them. You could take one if you’d like,” his tongue spoke faster than his mind. He gives her almost free range, not meaning to let his affection affect his speech. 

She whips her head around to look at him like she did in the hall those weeks ago. “Are you sure? I couldn’t possibly have a torn book weighing over my head.” 

Her eyes are sharp and watery, like a lake he wants to dive into. 

“I’m sure if you do, I can find a way for you to make it up to me.” At the tone of his thoughts as the last word leaves his mouth, he can hear Edward’s footsteps flying down the stairs.

Edward comes around the corner, his eyebrows furrowed. Jasper can feel his jealousy flowing out of him. He just sighs and turns to start reading the book he left out on his desk. 

"Would you mind if I borrowed _Wuthering Heights_? It's one of my favorites..." 

His eyes dart up to her face, her insecurity apparent even without his gift. "Of course, doll. Keep it as long as you want."

With the mention of a pet name, Edward is through the door and trying hard to mask his pissy attitude. “Bella, love, I have something to show you upstairs.” 

Her head nods along with his words, grabbing the delicate book off the shelf and holding it to her chest.  Just as Edward goes to move from the doorway, she rushes over to Jasper and puts a hand on his bicep. 

“Thank you, Jasper, I’ll make sure to return it in one piece soon.” 

His eyes linger on her own for a little too long as Edward clears his throat in the background. 

“Again, doll, as long as you want. No rush.” He can't help but think of what other contexts he'd be saying that to her. 

Edward cant help himself as he mutters, "Stay away from her. She's mine," just low enough that Bella doesn't catch it. Jasper just goes back to reading his book, peeking up past the pages to watch as she leaves the room. 

She was excited that she'd get to read a first edition of her favorite book, and it added a little bounce to her step. The happiness radiating off her too easy to see that it didn’t come from Edward’s words, but his. And the slight sway to her hips doesn’t tamper the mood either. 

His thoughts, dissected by Edward, are getting louder and louder as he walks away from the study. The feeling of her warm hand against his marbled skin, the heat he could feel through the fabric of his Henley, the way her smile curved over the edges of her canines added a sweetness to her face he couldn’t help but add to his memories. His thoughts were cut short at the sound of a piano being softly played on the floor above him, a familiar tune echoing off the keys and down the vents. He knew how long Edward had taken to write it for her. And how much he wished she liked Jasper’s gift more.

Jasper spends the rest of the night thinking about what he could give to her that she'd like better. He keeps considering giving her some more first editions so she can start her own collection, but Alice comes down to tell him exactly what it is that she would love. 

"She just wants someone to be there for her. Offer your time, Jasper. You know Edward would never help her around the house or go grocery shopping with her. She's alone too much." 

Jasper thinks it over while he watches Bella walk to class with Edward the next day.

He decides that’s exactly what he’ll do. He finds himself standing on her front doorstep one Saturday in plain clothing and his favorite worn boots, hand already knocking on the door. He knows the chief will be working late tonight, and Edward mentioned in passing that Saturdays are her shopping days. 

When the door opens, he’s met with a fully dressed Bella, hair framing her face with her keys in her hand. “Oh, yeah, Jasper, can I help you?” 

He looks down at his feet before replying, “Alice suggested that you might need some help grocery shopping, and everyone left for a hunting trip yesterday, so I’m here to help.” 

Her face is contorted into a surprised expression, the confusion flowing from her shoulders. “Oh, I always shop by myself. I'm usually okay?” He looks almost sad at the statement and she decides that she hates the look on his face. “But we’re totally out of everything, and it would be nice to have someone to help carry everything inside.”

**...**

He doesn't understand what any of the things she puts in the cart are for. It's when she's reaching for a box of chocolate covered cherries that he finds his voice. "Are those good?" 

She freezes for a second in surprise, he hasn't said much since they'd arrived at the store. 

"Oh. Um, yeah. They're one of my favorites. Especially when I'm...err..." She tucks her hair behind her ear as a blush covers her face. She couldn't believe that she'd almost slipped and told him that she was on her period. She's such a weirdo, why would he want to spend his time grocery shopping with her? He just tilts his head to the side, curious. 

“Well, ya know, when a girl gets on her...” she raises her brow in a sheepish way, her face one of nervousness. It finally clicked in his brain and he almost doubled over from laughter. The quick change of seriousness left her chuckling herself. 

“Sorry, miss, didn’t mean to pry,” he drawled out, shaking his head at himself, still blowing out air. “It’s been a while since I’ve had the need to find myself in a market.”

"And when was that?" She was surprised by her forwardness. She didn't expect an answer, Edward didn't really like talking about his past. 

Jasper really had to think about it. They continued on with their shopping as he tried to figure out the exact last time he was at a market, it wasn't really a memory that he thought was important to keep. They're loading the groceries into the bed of her truck when it suddenly comes to him.

“It was before I signed up,” his words came out hushed, a contrast to the belly laugh he let off in the store. 

Her hand rests on a jug of milk, turning her body to face him as he loads a bag of frozen chicken into the back. “Signed up for what?” 

His eyes unfocused, his memory taking him back to the day he forged the papers. “The war. I was trying to do what I thought was right, fighting for my family in the 1860s. I told ‘em I was a lot older than I was for them to get me in. That day I bought mama a heifer from the market as a going away present. She had no clue I was taking off the next day.” His voice got stronger as he ended, the storm behind his eyes clouding. 

She knew pushing anything more out of him might make him clam up again, so she nodded her head with the new information and tossed him the keys to her truck. “Wanna drive?”

He was shocked. No one ever wanted him to drive because he actually drove the speed limit most of the time. He didn't like driving. He'd much rather run everywhere. Or he preferred horseback, but that wasn't much of a thing in this town. "Of course!" He flashed her a smile as he took her keys and walked towards the front of the truck. 

She stood there, dazed for a second before she regained her bearings, slamming the tailgate shut before hurrying to the passenger side. She may have tripped a little on her boots, but she knew Jasper couldn't have possibly seen her. He did. He had to stifle his laugh before she opened the door and hopped onto the seat, buckling her seat belt.

His moods changed like a pinball machine, and it was hard for Bella to keep up. She couldn’t decide if she liked when he was forward or not. The frustrated loner she met on her first day showed himself every other moment, but another man came through in his absence. She was even more shocked when the entire way back to her house he didn’t almost run over multiple cars speeding, like Edward would’ve done. Instead, he turned up the volume knob a tick and hummed along to the soft rock echoing around the metal cab. She was starting to enjoy the other man too.

**...**

Grocery shopping soon became their thing. Every Saturday, bright and early, Jasper would be on her doorstep waiting with wet hair for her to be ready to leave. He didn't think Edward knew about these trips. Surely it would lead to some kind of confrontation between the two. Perhaps he had thought that too soon. On this particular Saturday, he didn't expect to see the all too familiar Volvo parked in Bella's driveway.

He knows some shit is about to go down, hoping it turns physical so he can finally give Edward what he deserves. His ears perk up when he hears footsteps shuffling around upstairs. Jasper just tightens his belt buckle and starts to head inside because he’s gonna try to keep this civil only for Bella’s sake.

He sits on the couch and waits for them to come downstairs. Edward's even more enraged that Jasper is allowed in her house. Jasper’s internal pissed meter starts rising now that he can smell Edward all over her, as she comes down stairs with her hair messy from a probable kiss that wasn’t going anywhere with Edward around.

"Hi, Bella. How are you doing today?" It's not just something he asks because Edward is there. He asks her every time he sees her because he genuinely wants to know. He sees Edward stiffen from behind her.

“Good, Jazz. What’s up? Here for the trip already?” Her smile stretches across her face, her emotional palate clear of anything but the attention she’s giving him. Edward glares daggers at Jasper’s skull.

"Actually, Bella and I were planning on going to Seattle today. Your services aren't needed." 

Jasper just quirks an eyebrow at that. "I'm sure Bella would tell me if she didn't want me to show up today. She's much kinder than someone who would just blow off regular plans without an explanation."

The tension between the two boys— calling Jasper a boy never quite sat right with her— was escalating, its forwardness heating up the room. Bella stood between them, Jasper sitting at her knees on the couch with Edward at her back. Whatever they were communicating through their looks wasn’t good she could tell. 

"Edward, you know I would love to go to Seattle, but I really do need to get groceries for the week..." She trailed off as a growl started building behind her back. Her eyes widened just a fraction in fear. 

The rush of it is what makes Jasper come to his feet. His hand shot out, curling around her hip, bringing her body against his chest before Edward could blink. Both boys teeth were bared, the evidence of a conversation that she had never heard bubbling to the surface. 

“What’s gotten into you both?” she yelped, her body still not moving from Jasper’s cold hold for some reason.

"You're not safe with him, Bella!" Edward had started pacing, darting back and forth. 

"You're the one that's making her feel unsafe right now,  _ boy _ ." Jasper gently pushed Bella to sit on the couch, not knowing how far this would go.

The only reason for Bella’s ability to stay still during all of this was Jasper sending waves of calm her way. He was gonna get a piece of her mind later about controlling them when she didn’t want him to.

Edward’s feet were wearing an imaginary hole in the floorboards, his anger coming through in the clenching and unclenching of his hands. “You could kill her, Jasper.”

"I'm not the one that has to physically stop himself from biting her." Based on Bella's reaction, it's clear that Edward hadn't told her how bad it was for him. "See, you can't even tell her how much it hurts you to be even this close to her."

Edwards' face snapped up, “And you’re any different? I’ve read your mind. I know you thirst for more than just her blood.” His face twisted into a disgusted grimace, Bella confused on what he had meant. 

“I don’t want to drain her, and you know my thirst is because I feel all of yours combined. I barely feel any thirst when it's just her and I _alone_." He emphasized the last word. 

It has its desired effect. Edward launches himself at Jasper's throat, but he knows it was stupid to even think he could catch the soldier by surprise. Jasper has him pinned to the ground with his hand at his throat in a second.

“I have fought armies and warriors all gunning for a chunk of my balls, you think your speed would be enough?!” His eyes turn obsidian in the incandescent light, his skin glittering along his scars by the faint sun coming through the windows. If her boyfriend weren’t cracking at Jasper’s fingers at his neck, she would’ve thought he was beautiful, gorgeous even.

“Jasper, let. Me. Go. You’ve put yourself in the wrong here and you know it. You should’ve never gone near—“ 

“Will you both STOP IT!” Edward is cut off, the words hanging out of his gritted teeth. "I don't know what's been going on during the times I'm not around, but this is ridiculous. Almost killing each other isn't going to fix anything. Why are you both acting so crazy?!" Bella's still sitting on the couch, her cheeks pink from the exertion of trying to get them to hear her over their arguing. 

They both look at her, twin monsters hiding in their eyes. She sees their resemblance now, the crease of frustration around the brow gives them away. Edward is the first to speak. 

“Jasper doesn’t understand boundaries.” The fingers around his throat close in tighter before pulling away completely. Jasper shoves him away and stands to his full height, towering over Edward still on the ground. 

“Edward doesn’t understand that he doesn’t own all he touches.”

"And Bella doesn't understand why there was almost an absolute brawl in the middle of her living room."

Jasper lets out a gruff laugh through his nose, the humor apparent to him through more than just his gift. “It’s just a misunderstanding is all,” he grunts out, his stance shielding Bella from Edwards' rising form. 

“Oh, I understand, Jasper. I’m not gonna let you get the chance.”

"We'll see about that," he says only to Edward. "What do you say, Isabella? Up for some grocery gettin’?" He rocks back and forth from his toes to his heels, anxious about her response.

“God, anything to get away from this house right now, yes.” She grabs her jacket and shuffles the short distance to kiss Edward on the cheek. “Just cool off and I’ll be back soon.” Her hand fisted the zipper on his jacket, the back of her mind wondering what it would feel like to have Jasper in his place. How it would feel to kiss him on the cheek and touch his chest. Glad that her thoughts were hers alone, she skipped out the door before she could accidentally voice anything. 

Edward glared at Jasper as he slowly walked to the front door. 

“Don’t wait up,” he drawled out, a cocksure grin lifting his face. 

“The only reason I’m letting you near her is because I will not deny her wishes.” 

Jasper stopped in the doorway. “There is no  _ letting _ , brother. I take as I please.”

Jasper kept her out later than she normally would be. They stopped to grab Bella some lunch before they went shopping because he knew that Edward forgets that she needs to eat regularly. He pays, and he even gets her a chocolate milkshake because he knows it's her favorite. Grocery shopping was the usual, confusing time where he tried to figure out what most of the items she was grabbing are for.

“What’s the story behind this one?” he says as he grabs an array of sour candy, the stripes a ghastly shade of neon orange and blue. 

“They’re the only candy from living with Renee she ever kept in the house. She liked them,” she said simply, not overthinking the sentence until Jasper spoke up. 

“She kept this, a child’s candy, in the house because she liked it? Not for you?” Her hand stopped mid reach for a box of Charlie’s cereal as she caught the implications. 

"Um yeah. I guess I started to like them after a while too." She just grabbed the cereal and threw it in the cart. She started to continue down the aisle when Jasper's voice stopped her. 

"What's  _ your _ favorite candy, doll?" He made sure to maintain eye contact with her, knowing she would tell him eventually.

She huffed, the question making her gut twist up in an odd way, like he was asking a million more, deeper, questions than just the surface one. “Honestly?” He nodded his head. “I guess I’d have to say those sticky chocolate bars with the caramel inside. Oh, or pop rocks. At least one of those answers doesn't make me sound like a toddler,” she laughed a quiet laugh.

"Pop rocks?" He can't even imagine what those look like, but he kind of wants to watch her as she puts them in her mouth.  _ I wonder what people would do if I made out with her against the shelves right now.  _ He has to get that thought out of his head, so he asks her what's next on her list. They finish up and head back to Bella's house so he can help her bring the groceries inside.

The Volvo is still sitting in the dry spot next to her mailbox, the shine of the grey paint reflecting like a boring fun house mirror. Jasper regretted not taking more time to flesh out their outing, spending as much time as he could with her before Edward scarfs her down.

Edward is standing in the kitchen when they go inside. Jasper leaves the bags in his hand on the kitchen table and gives Bella a hug goodbye. 

"I'll see you later, Bella. Don't forget your rain jacket tomorrow." 

He was going to be taking Bella to get some of her very own first edition novels the next day. He knew she hadn't told Edward what exactly she was going to be doing, just that she had plans. Edward's eyes followed him out the door, Jasper’s mind creating best case scenarios in his head of the trip, causing a growl to be heard from the screen door. 

Bella watched as he walked at a human pace through the mud of her front yard, each footprint another nick on her heart that he left there. Edward's gentle hand scoops the swatch of hair away from her ear and rests upon her jaw. His chilled hand cutting her thoughts in two. 

“You didn’t tell me tomorrow your shopping partner would be my brother.” His eyes were accusatory. She knew he wouldn’t be asking her if she had a good time at the store anytime soon.

"I didn't think I'd have to tell you every single person I decide to spend my time with." She finished putting the groceries away and stalked off to her room, shutting the door before Edward could come in.

**...**

Later that night, Jasper is preparing a list of the novels he thinks Bella would like to get tomorrow when Edward walks into his study. 

“I don’t think you know who’s heart you're playing with.” 

Jasper’s eyes bounce up to his youngest brother's features. “I’m not playing with anything.” 

There’s no humor on either man's face, their sides clearly drawn. 

“Are you sure about that? Because what I recall, Bella was my bloodsinger, not yours.”

"Bloodsinger doesn't equate to mate." 

The rest of the family pauses what they're doing, ready to jump in if this comes to blows. The thoughts running through Jasper's head cause Edward to grip so hard on the doorframe that he breaks a chunk out of it. 

"It could if you would leave her alone." His words are icy, none of the brotherly love that used to be there not too long ago.

Jasper stays seated, his wide-shouldered frame falling into the soldier like posture. “And why would I do that, brother?” he spits, venom pooling on the corners of his jaw. 

Edward takes a step into the room, his jaw set in an invisible line. “Because you already found your happiness.” 

At the mention of her, Alice stands in the living room, her hands skimming across the floor, her thoughts loud enough to echo.  _ You know he was never mine _ .

"You know better than I do that that's not true." Jasper finally stands and goes over to stand in front of the younger boy. And he was just that, a boy compared to the man standing in front of him. Jasper moves past him to go upstairs and out to hunt.

Edward lets him get as far as the living room before he says, "She'll be disgusted by your scars."

A pang of sorrow hits him in the chest. The sadness at her inevitable disapproval all too evident in his consciousness, his stride turning rigid at the thought that’s been hidden in the corner of his mind. His hands make fists at his sides, clenching and unclenching with the stretch of the bites. “I don’t doubt it.”

He spends the hours waiting to go pick Bella up hunting. He hunts so much that he feels sloshy inside. It was stupid of him to think that Bella would ever be able to accept him and his past. He would have to be more careful with his feelings. There was no need for him to get heartbroken over a silly human.

Edward could be the boy that she needed, not some homicidal monster who’s killed more people than she’s ever met. But still, the thought of his hands on her skin made him break a tree in half with the force of his fist.

Their trip to Port Angeles changes his mind. It changes when he sees her eyes light up as they walk into the bookstore where he gets his own collections from. It changes when he sees her focusing so hard on what novels she might take home with her. It changes on the way home when the sunset lights up her skin and her hair and makes her look like the sun he's been missing since he's been changed.

She’s there and she’s warm and she is not afraid to touch him. On the way home, she rests her forehead against his shoulder as she laughs, and he thinks this is what god must sound like. That if he’s taken off the earth for his crimes then maybe he’ll get to listen to her for the rest of forever there. His piece of sun. He only thinks of how she’d look in the Texas midday heat. The sun coming down just above the horizon making everything turn golden.

Jasper doesn't leave her house until late. They spend the evening talking in her room. The door was open, of course. Charlie knew he was there and liked his presence more than Edward's. As he was saying goodbye, Bella reached up and pecked his cheek with a sweetest of kisses he'd ever received. He was speechless for a second, but the smile that broke out across his face was enough to cause the alarm in Bella's eyes from her boldness to fade away. 

"I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

“Count on it.” 

He would never tell her just how precious she looked in the dim light of the kitchen, how the yellows and the greens bounced off her skin like marble. He was starting to think that maybe that day in the hallway was some sort of fate. He had never believed in luck before. As he walked into the woods and started to run, whipping past trees and plants he could identify by smell alone, he looked forward to having to sit in that cramped building with all that blood for the first time in a while.

**...**

Edward wasn't at school the next day. The only people that knew the real reason was the Cullens. Bella kept trying to get it out of Jasper, but he wouldn't break. He couldn't help the amusement he felt at the idea of Edward trying to find the arm he had ripped off him the night before. Jasper had returned home from one of the best days in his life, and Edward just had to ruin it. 

"You know she's never going to want you." 

Jasper almost hadn’t caught the faint words coming from the boy sitting at his piano. He couldn't help himself, he saw red and the next thing everyone knew was that Edward's arm was no longer attached to his body. Emmett had to pull him off before his head came off next.

It was one of Emmett's most entertaining nights he's had in a while. Rosalie was in the corner contemplating taking a chunk for herself but decided not to when Jasper bit into his shoulder as a permanent threat. She's never seen Jasper be so involved in the happenings of the family before. It makes her worried if things end badly between the three. She secretly hopes Jasper is the one that wins Bella's heart.

Alice's visions were changing, Jasper and Edward warring over her heart, the threat of murdering each other over the heads of the entire family. In every vision, Bella never forgives the other for it. She's sat the two down multiple times, but it's never had any effect. One of her visions ends with a plume of purple smoke, and she knows she has to get Carlisle involved. 

It just so happens to be the day that he receives a phone call from the school about the fight they got into during the middle of lunch that ended with the two boys in the principal's office.

Carlisle stalks into the office, stride like a mountain dog bringing aid, to where they’re sitting. Both children with the look of embarrassment on their faces, Jasper’s smug grin the only difference.

Carlisle quickly takes care of things in the office. He stands in front of the boys, looking like an extremely disappointed dad, which isn’t far from the truth. 

"You both are going home. You are going to go and sit in your rooms, and you will not leave them. There is a family meeting when I get home." He stops Edward when he tries to speak. "This is not a discussion. I will see you when I get home from work." He walks out of the office, leaving the two boys to find their own ways home.

Alice stares at the back of Jasper’s crown, the blonde locs lying limp on the crease of his collar. She’s steaming in the passenger seat next to him, the fight wouldn’t have escalated if his jealousy hadn’t lent itself to his fists. 

“I wasn’t trying to start a scene, Alice.” The woods of Forks pass by in a blur as his foot becomes lead on the gas pedal, causing the car to speed uncharacteristically under Jasper's control. She refuses to answer, the silence something she used to pull when they— loved?— each other. The normally silent man always felt a chip form on his shoulder when she clammed up. Her emotions were always the hardest to read.

Alice silently leads them through the garage doors and into the living room where the rest of the family has gathered. Emmett is beaming at Jasper from his spot at the dining room table. He throws a thumbs up his way before Edward can see. Jasper smiles back at him before he takes his own spot, which just happens to be directly across from the boy he punched in the nose earlier. They sit there glaring at each other until Carlisle walks into the room, Esme in tow. All the "children" know that the two had to go off and discuss the situation before they talked about it with the rest of the family.

Rose is sat on the seat beside him, her attention pulled away from the discussion that’s going to take place by the state of her nails. She knew they’d come to blows sooner or later, their personalities too offbeat from each other to not. She just never thought it would be over a human girl.

“We have a serious matter to discuss here,” Carlisle’s voice boomed unnecessarily to his vampire children. This is one of the few times Carlisle has had to enforce his role as coven leader. It's no shock to the children, they knew it would happen eventually. 

"The behavior that the two of you have been exhibiting is not acceptable. The fighting and the bickering has got to stop. One way or the other." Carlisle looked to Alice, indicating for her to share what she had seen that morning.

The tiny pixie stood at the corner of the room, all eyes on her as she opened her mouth. “If both of you continue like this, a pyre will take one of you.” The family falls into silence, the impact of the Swan girl weighing heavily on the coven. 

“Why can’t we just get rid of her then? She already knows too much as it is,” the blonde spoke without looking up, her sharp features sinking deep into her words. 

Jasper clenches his teeth. “Rose...” His twin looked at him with love, but it was a hard edged sword.

"She's mine. I found her first." Edward wholeheartedly believed he was speaking the truth. 

Emmett raises his eyebrows, "Hate to break it to you, bud, but Jasper actually found her first." Edward's back straightened as Emmett played the events in the hallway through his mind. The memories were fresh, even though they happened weeks ago. It was like Emmett was waiting for the perfect time to reveal them. 

Edward's eyes glazed over as he ran through Emmett’s head. The normally chaotic mess was straightened out into manageable chunks. Bella with her soaked sweater and her apologetic smile staring at Jasper like she was trying to make him stay with her. He could see the difference in his face from then to now. A change he hasn’t noticed in his brother before. He looked happier now. His brow less creased and his smiles easier. He was...appalled with the revelation.

"He's going to  _ kill _ her! How can none of you see that? It'll take just a split second and she'll end up dead." He looked to Carlisle for his backing. 

"I'm sorry, son, but your actions prove otherwise. It seems that Jasper is the one that's concerned with her safety, what with being so out in the open when he's with her. You only want to spend time with her here or when Charlie is asleep." 

Jasper could tell he was going to be winning Bella, for lack of better terms. He could tell just from the way that Carlisle was finally refusing Edward the support he always received.

“And I won’t hear anything about killing her.” Esme stood, a hard look on her face that anyone but Jasper had rarely seen. “She’s a part of the family now, and I can’t tear her away from either of you. But I won’t hear of her demise.” Her words spoke of a true mother, her eyes catching on each one of their faces. 

"I'm sorry, Edward—" 

"NO," he roared as he took off into the next room, destroying anything he could get his hands on. He appeared right next to Jasper. "I won't let you have her." His eyes were like pitch. His hands shaking with how crazy the thought alone made him. 

"You won't  _ let _ me?" Jasper's voice got louder as he looked at Edward through the corner of his eye. He slowly straightened up in his seat, and everyone could see him switching to the man he was before he came to be with them. His back held the tenseness of a buck shot grizzly bear, his eyes like a wolf’s. He looked every part of the vampire war general he was, the gleam of venom on his canines noticeable even without their vampire sight. 

“There has never and will never be a day when I take a command from you, boy.” His tone was deathly still, the  _ boy _ coming out like a gunshot from between his lips. The way his mouth quirked out the sounds seemed to bring his scars to the forefront. Like every detail of war was scratched upon his face and arms and soul.

Carlisle knew he couldn't stop the ball that had started rolling. He silently motioned for everyone else to leave the room, and they obliged willingly. It was never a good sight to see when Jasper let himself go like that. They only worried that Edward would be able to survive the encounter.

Jasper rose to his feet, the soft metal of his heel tapping against the wood flooring. All they heard from the outside was the breaking of furniture and walls.

Jasper walked out of the room some time later and went straight downstairs to compose himself. Alice went in to check on Edward. It appeared Jasper had put him back together, but had purposely put his legs on backwards so that they would have to be removed and put back on correctly. Alice could see how painful it would be, and just sighed as she lightly touched Edward's shoulder. 

"You knew that she was going to be his from the beginning. I don't see why you're putting yourself through so much pain." She flitted out the door to go find Emmett and start cleaning up the mess they had made.

Jasper stood looking at the bookcase Bella had stood in front of not a few weeks ago. The swirl of her hands, hovering over the delicate spines. He could smell her on the pages, the scent of strawberries and cream leeching off her skin. The call of her blood was nothing compared to the squeeze of her soft skin. His thoughts drifted to the way she’d look without the oversized raincoat and jeans. His hand drifted across his stomach as the sound of Edward screaming echoed above him.


End file.
